Since its founding in 2015, Secretlab’s mission statement has been the same: to deliver premium chairs without the extravagant prices. They’ve made quite a splash over their short time on the market and it’s no surprise. Their chairs are stylish and have gained the kind of groundswell it takes other brands years to develop. Not content to rest on their laurels, Secretlab is refreshing their flagship Omega with a brand new 2018 version. We were lucky enough to take a look. This is our review of the Secretlab Omega Stealth 2018.
Specifications
- MSRP: $440 ($299 launch pricing)
- Chair Type: Office/Gaming Chair
- Foam Type: High density, Cold Cure Cut
- Upholstery: Secretlab PRIME PU Leather
- Adjustable Armrests: 4-directional, soft PU coated
- Mechanism: Multi-tilt w/tilt lock & angle lock
- Hydraulics Gas Piston: Class 4, Heavy Duty
- Recline: 85-165 degrees
- Support Cushions: Velour (head), Memory Foam (lumbar)
- Base: Reinforced Aluminum
- Recommended Height: 5’3” - 5’9”
- Maximum Load: < 240 lbs
- Warranty: 2-year
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The Omega Stealth is Secretlab’s most identifiable chair. When they came on the scene, press outlet after press outlet applauded it, and I can see why. After using the 2018 version for a couple of weeks, it’s become my new favorite chair, even over the other two more expensive gaming chairs I’ve used extensively this year. Not only is it comfortable and well-made, it also looks great. Though the Omega 2018 comes in several color options, “Stealth” offers the kind of understated cool that elevates an entire setup.
Let’s start with the basics. The Omega Stealth 2018 is a gaming chair, which means it’s made to be sat in for long hours. It’s ergonomically designed, and the new version is more accommodating than ever. The looks have been tweaked slightly to bring it up with the times, and from afar it looks similar to “racing” seats seen all over Twitch. Thankfully, it’s not a racing chair and is much more comfortable as a result. Both the back and seat are wider than racing style chairs, giving you more room to move inside the angled wings. The Omega doesn’t hug you into the seat the same way a GT Omega might, which makes sitting more relaxing.
Among the big additions in the 2018 version, Secretlab has re-thought their approach to the high-density cold-cure foam you’ll be sitting on. Cold-curing, if you’re not familiar, is the process used to develop cushions for automobiles and theater seats. It’s well known to resist aging and to hold its shape over time while also maintaining its comfort qualities. This year’s Omega now features a single-piece foam made in its own mold, so nothing’s been cut and stitched together in the manufacturing process. It’s dense enough to be considered shock absorbing but has enough to give to be immediately comfortable. The foam is also thick enough where you can’t feel the frame anywhere through its sitting surfaces.
The other big addition seems small at first but makes the chair so much more comfortable. Instead of having an adjustable lumbar support built into the chair itself, something I’ve had mixed results with in prior chairs, the Omega 2018 ships with this:
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This velour covered lumbar pillow is a god-send. It seems like a small addition at first, and if you’re the kind of gamer who threw a memory foam pillow behind your back in the first place, maybe it is. But it’s amazing the difference this pillow has made to my long-term comfort. It’s made to match the natural curve of your back and the soft memory foam allows it to adjust to provide exactly the type of support you need.
Both the lumbar and neck pillows are big improvements over those found on most other gaming chairs. They’re far softer for one. On other gaming chairs, I often took the neck cushions right off because they would push my head forward instead of actually supporting it. Here, you can sink into both cushions, and the velour covers make it all the more comfortable. I also love that the lumbar pillow is so much larger than those on my last Vertagear and GT Omega, allowing it to provide better support overall.
One of the biggest marks of quality in a gaming chair (any chair, really) is how well it is upholstered. Far too often, gaming chairs use thin upholstery that forms unsightly ripples and wrinkles. The Omega 2018 features a 1.5mm layer of Secretlab’s PRIME PU leather and the quality is apparent. That thickness is apparent to the touch and immediately lends a sense of quality. PU leather is real leather, but it’s actually found underneath the polyurethane surface, which makes the Omega resistant to spills and other mishaps of life. It also means it can just be wiped down when that inevitable spill happens.
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Secretlab’s chairs are well known for their looks and the Omega 2018 is no exception. This chair looks nice. The PRIME PU leather looks good all on its own but Secretlab accents it in ways that could easily win it a “most stylish” award. Along the sides, well-done red stitching draws the eye. On the side of the back, the PU leather changes style to carbon fiber. Most striking is the gold stitching in the logo work. A huge omega symbol is stitched into the back. The black and gold looks fantastic, but nowhere so much as on that icon. It looks great.
Moving onto the rest of the chair, we find our 4D armrests. They offer the usual four degrees of movement, but are positioned wider, again catering to the freer movement at the heart of the Omega. I also appreciate that they’re softer and slightly concave, as harder armrests always made my elbows hurt over time. The hydraulic piston has also been updated to allow a wider range of heights. Returning is Secretlab’s multi-functional tilt system, which allows users to lock the chair in any tilt they choose. Combined with the adjustable rocking tension and 165-degrees of recline, the Omega makes for quite the flexible chair.
One downside worth mentioning, however, is assembly. Secretlab recommends two people, but since my wife is pregnant, I went it alone. It wasn’t horrible, but it’s easy to see why two people is recommended. Aligning the back and threading the screws was tough. Thankfully, Secretlab provides detailed instructions, as well as a combination allen wrench/phillips head, so you don’t have to root out your own tools. All in all, single-person assembly took a little less than 30 minutes.
Final Thoughts
This is all effusively positive. I get it. What isn’t he saying? Sitting down to write this review I wracked my brain trying to come up with meaningful cons to balance out my praise, but this is one of the rare cases where a manufacturer just knocks it out of the park. You can go in confident because the Secretlab Omega 2018 is an all star.
Pros
- Very well built, PRIME PU leather upholstery is definitely a cut above
- Soft lumbar and neck pillows offer great support
- This chair looks fantastic - gaming chair or not, it’s striking
- Cold-cure foam is resilient but quite comfortable
Cons
- Two-person assembly (single person is doable but cumbersome)
The product discussed in this article was provided by the manufacturer for the purposes of review.
